CLEVELAND, Ohio – SummerSlam 2014 is just a few days away with true heavyweights John Cena and Brock Lesnar set to square off for the WWE Championship on Sunday, Aug. 17.

The WWE puts on a pay-per-view every month, but SummerSlam is one of the promotion's big three (along with the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania). In case you need a reminder of that, here are seven matches that helped make the summer's biggest pay-per-view what it is today:

Brock Lesnar versus The Rock (2002)

By the time The Rock faced off against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2002, the passing of the torch was all but complete. The Rock's standing as a fan favorite was waning and Lesnar was set to become the WWE's next big thing. The match was one of the most hyped in SummerSlam history and it lived up to that hype, thanks to Lesnar's raw strength and The Rock's ability to sell just about any move. The match is also a reminder of how versatile Lesnar was 12 years ago as opposed to the huge, plodding mess he is now.

John Cena versus Daniel Bryan (2013)

Daniel Bryan's rise to the top of the WWE culminated at this past April's WrestleMania 30. However, the promotion tricked us into thinking it would happen sooner. Bryan faced off against champion John Cena at SummerSlam 2013. The match was great and finished with Bryan beating Cena. The audience went wild only to have Triple H screw Bryan over with a Pedigree after the match. Triple H then called out Randy Orton to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and steal the belt from Bryan.

Bret Hart versus Mr. Perfect (1991)

With Hulk Hogan's movie success and the looming steroid controversy the WWE was about to take on, it was clear Vince McMahon needed a new star to carry his company into the mid-1990s. Bret Hart never rose to the level of mainstream stardom that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin or The Rock did, but Hart's brilliant matches, like the one against rival Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam 1991, did keep the promotion afloat for several desperate years to come.

The Undertaker versus Edge (2008)

Because his career was cut short due to a neck injury, it's easy to forget just how great Edge was. His 2008 "Hell in a Cell" match against The Undertaker stands as one of the best cage matches of the modern era, highlighted by The Undertaker launching Edge through the cage. The match proved to be a perfect meshing of styles that ultimately saw The Undertaker send Edge straight to hell.

Shawn Michaels versus Razor Ramon (1995)

Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon's ladder match at WrestleMania X was so memorable it had to have a sequel. Part-two came a little over a year later at SummerSlam 1995. The match wasn't quite as great as the first, but it had its moments. It was also a key step in elevating Michaels from Intercontinental Championship contender to the full-on WWE superstar he was quickly becoming.

The Ultimate Warrior versus Rick Rude (1989)

In terms of popularity, there was no wrestler skyrocketing up the ranks of the WWE faster than the Ultimate Warrior in the late 1980s. The organization found the perfect rival for the Warrior in the form of Rick Rude, a talented wrestler whose gimmick was shaking his hips and dropping devastating neck-breakers. The duo's match at SummerSlam 1989 helped solidify the Ultimate Warrior as a star. He would defeat Hulk Hogan for the WWE title at WrestleMania VI less than a year later in the biggest match in WWE history up until that point.

British Bulldog versus Bret Hart (1992)

There are some fans who will argue it's the greatest match in WWE history. It is certainly the greatest SummerSlam match of all-time. SummerSlam 1992 was billed as "The SummerSlam You Thought You'd Never See," in large part because of the showdown between Bret Hart and the British Bulldog. They were brother-in-laws, friends and two of the top wrestlers in the promotion at the time. What made it even more insane was that the match took place at Wembley Stadium on the British Bulldog's home turf. The Intercontinental Championship match was nearly 26 minutes of pure brilliance as the two of them went blow-for-blow. Eventually, the Bulldog was able to secure a shocking pin that had the crowd going nuts. The two stars embraced in a show of respect, knowing they'd just competed in one of the greatest wrestling matches of all-time.

What is your favorite SummerSlam match? Tell us in the comments section.

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